Rotisserie oven having horizontally and vertically oriented cooking elements

ABSTRACT

Indoor use rotisserie ovens which have construction features and scale which make the cleaning process easier. Shown are indoor use rotisserie ovens which also may rotate cooking foods about either a horizontal or vertical axis, which makes their applications more versatile. Construction features include: a scale appropriate for cleaning in a typical kitchen sink, use of removable electrical components, and single oven wall construction, all to allow easy cabinet cleaning. Also shown is a locking tab manufacturing detail which creates an inexpensive, light weight, oven cavity, which is easy to clean and also permits oven cavity washing and/or immersion in water. This manufacturing detail also is easy to handle by the end-user without projecting sharp edges. Self lubricated spit assembly axles are shown as well to help deaden sound.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward food cooking ovens. Moreparticularly, the present invention is directed to rotisserie ovenshaving horizontally and vertically oriented cooking elements.

Indoor household use rotisserie ovens are in wide use in the UnitedStates. Because most use hot electrical elements to radiantly cook foodssuch as meats, fish, foul, and vegetables; they commonly share cleaningproblems associated with splattering, vaporizing, and recondensing ofgreases and oils. Cleaning typically is made yet more difficult by thepresence of hard-to-reach areas such as nooks and crannies aroundheating elements. Further, grease may condense between inner and outeroven walls and in other inaccessible areas, potentially creatingunpleasant odors and breeding grounds for bacteria.

Part of the problem is that most of these devices have twin, inner andouter, oven wall construction. Such construction does not allow thesedevices to be immersed in water for cleaning because water would collectin the spaces between the inner and outer walls. Immersion in water forcleaning is also prevented by the presence of integrally connectedelectrical components.

Many outdoor rotisseries have single thickness walls encasing their ovencavities. A particularly innovative embodiment of this outdoorconstruction uses a single thickness oven wall construction andremovable electrical components. Such device relies on an outer frame tosupport the oven cavity and its electrical components. Consequently thisdevice is more expensive to construct than a device which does not relyon an outer frame. In addition, the scale of this device appears to makeit difficult to wash the oven cavity in a kitchen sink.

Other problems indoor household use rotisseries have include lack ofversatility. As an example, horizontal spit countertop rotisseries, aregood for cooking chickens, but are inappropriate for cooking pizzas. Bycontrast, horizontal turntable rotisseries, may cook pizzas, but areinappropriate for chickens. And none of these devices can cook breads.

It would be desirable to have a single device which could cook a varietyof foods and overcomes the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cookingsystem which is able to cook a variety of foods.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an indooruse oven which has construction features and scale which make thecleaning process easier. Further, in accordance with the presentinvention, there is provided a cooking system which is able to rotatecooking foods about either a horizontal or vertical axis, which makesits application more versatile. The cooking system also providesapparatus for cooking breads and bread sticks. The cooking system of thepresent invention includes a scale appropriate for cleaning in a typicalkitchen sink, use of removable electrical components and single ovenwall construction, both to allow cabinet washing and/or immersion forcleaning, and a locking tab manufacturing detail which creates aninexpensive, light weight, oven cavity, which is easy to clean and alsopermits oven cavity washing and/or immersion in water.

Still further, in accordance with the present invention, there isprovided cooking system. The cooking system comprises housing meansdefining an interior chamber, the housing means including an openingadapted to receive a food product into the interior chamber. The housingmeans further defines a port adapted to matingly receive a removableheating element therethrough. The cooking system also comprises doormeans adapted to selectively seal the opening and a control box. Thecontrol box includes a control box housing and an elongated, electricalresistance heating element secured to the control box housing so as toextend outwardly from an exterior therof. The control box also includesmeans adapted to selectively secure the control box housing to anexterior of the housing means such that the heating element is receivedthrough the port so as to extend into the interior chamber relativelyproximate to a selected interior portion of the housing means and amotor. The control box further includes a mechanical couplingoperatively engaged to the motor, which mechanical coupling ispositioned so as to be adapted to provide a mechanical link therewith toan associated object disposed in the interior chamber and means adaptedto selectively receive electrical energy into the at least one of theheating element and the motor.

In a preferred embodiment, the cooking system further comprises meansadapted for securing, within the interior chamber, at least onerotatable member to the mechanical coupling so as to be linked therewithsuch that mechanical energy from the motor is transferred to therotatable member through the mechanical coupling. In more preferredembodiment, the rotatable member is at least one of a rotisserie and aturntable for moving food associated therewith relative to theelectrical resistance element when disposed in the interior chamber.

Preferably, the housing includes means adapted for receiving a drip pantherein, which drip pan is oriented so as to receive drippings from fooddisposed in the interior chamber while being heated by the heatingelement. In addition, the control box includes a settable timer adaptedfor selectively activating at least one of the rotatable member and theheating element for a selected duration.

In a preferred embodiment, the control box includes a settable timeradapted for selectively activating at least one of the rotatable memberand the heating element for a selected duration. In addition, thecontrol box includes a lighting element adapted to project light intothe interior chamber when the control box is secured to the exterior ofthe housing.

Still other objects and aspects of the present invention will becomereadily apparent to those skilled in this art from the followingdescription wherein there is shown and described a preferred embodimentof this invention, simply by way of illustration of one of the bestmodes suited for to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, theinvention is capable of other different embodiments and its severaldetails are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects allwithout from the invention. Accordingly, the drawing and descriptionswill be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of thespecification, illustrate several aspects of the present invention, andtogether with the description serve to explain the principles of theinvention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a forward, upper, right hand perspective view of a preferredembodiment of the present inventions;

FIG. 2 is a right side perspective view of the preferred embodimentshown in FIG. 1 with a hand positioned to remove control box from ovencavity;

FIG. 3 is a forward, lower perspective view of the preferred embodimentshown in FIG. 1, with control box being removed;

FIG. 4 is a right side perspective view of the preferred embodimentshown in FIG. 1 with back wall and floor removed to show constructiondetails;

FIG. 5 is an enlargement of FIG. 4 as indicated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a left, upper perspective view of the preferred embodimentshown in FIG. 1 with its door slid under the oven cavity and verticalaxis turntable being installed;

FIG. 7 is the same view as shown in FIG. 6 with turntable fullyinstalled;

FIG. 8 is the same view as shown in FIG. 6 but with reflector installed;

FIG. 9 is the same embodiment shown in FIG. 8 but taken from a lowerviewpoint;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the same embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to9 but with different turntable; and

FIG. 11 shows an upper left perspective view of part of spit assemblywith the left axle exploded.

FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a spit assembly used to cook breadand other farinaceous products.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the spit assembly shown in FIG. 12 withone end removed.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a spit assembly used to cook multiplebreads and other farinaceous products simultaneously.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the spit assembly shown in FIG. 14, butwith both end portions removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed to rotisserie ovens havinghorizontally and vertically oriented cooking elements. Referring to FIG.1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The cookingsystem of the present invention is a metal enclosure 10 including anessentially horizontal metal floor 70 and metal roof 74, a generallyvertical metal back 72, and two essentially vertical side walls, leftoven wall 68 and right oven wall 56, and a glass door 34.

Spit assembly 20 is suspended within oven cavity 28 by spit supports 30.Heating element 32 provides the heat to cook foods within oven cavity28. Spit supports 30 have forward rest positions 88 which provide theuser an easy place to set down spit assembly 20 before sliding it intocooking position 90. Spit supports 30 as well as heater support 66 areattached to oven cavity 28 walls by means of tabs 92 on the supportssliding into slots 94 located on the walls.

Drip pan 40 is covered by drip pan cover 42, and in combination theyfunction to catch grease and oils dripped from cooking foods. Drip pancover 42 also functions to prevent fires which might occur by limitingthe amount of oxygen that can reach fats and oils contained within drippan 40.

In operation, door 34 is lowered and slid beneath the unit as shown inFIGS. 6 to 9 described in detail below. The door is also suitablyremoved.

Control box 36 contains countdown timer 38 which turns off operation ofthe unit by any suitable means at a time preset by the user.

Feet rests 44 help stabilize a warming and heating tray (not shown)which is suitably rested on top of the unit.

Rails 46 provide support for the embodiment on a countertop as well asprovide tracks to slide door 34 beneath oven cavity 28. Rails 46, byspacing oven cavity 28 off of a countertop, help prevent excessive heatfrom reaching such a countertop.

Door handles 47 provide a cool, easy to grasp handle for raising andlowering door 34. The door handles also provide protection againstbreakage for glass panel 48 which comprises most of door 34. The doorhandles are suitably comprised of PBS or other high temperature plastic.Glass panels, including tempered glass panels, are most vulnerable tobreakage when impacted on their corners or edges. Door handles 46 byprotruding beyond the corners, the forward and back surfaces, and theedges of glass panel 48 help protect against impact to corners and edgeswhich might otherwise break glass panel 48. Likewise, pivot pin 50 runsalong the bottom of glass panel 48 and protrudes beyond both its lowercorners, to provide similar protections as door handles 47.

To facilitate both cleaning and use, dimension 22 is between 10½ inchesand 16 inches. For similar reasons dimension 24 is between 9 inches and14 inches, and dimension 26 is between 8½ inches and 14 inches. Suchdimensions allow the embodiment to be cleaned in or around a kitchensink, while still providing adequate interior space for cooking on ahorizontal spit such popular foods such as: turkeys, chickens, roastbeef, leg of lamb, and other common foods. It also allows a verticalaxis turntable within the oven cavity which is sufficiently large tocook such foods as: pizzas, cookies, hors d'oeuvres, and other popularfood items.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, control box 36 is rigidly connected toheating element 32, and both may be pulled away from oven cavity 28 bygripping control box 36 in recesses 52 and 54, and simultaneouslysqueezing latch 58 to uncouple control box 36 from right oven wall 56.

Latch 58 is partially contained within upper recess 52, and includesleaf spring 60 which may be pressed toward lower recess 54 by fingerpressure. Such pressing moves cantilevered tip 62 of leaf spring 60downward (arrow 53) within tapered hole 64 located on right oven wall56, and thus uncouples latch 58 from right oven wall 56. This permitscontrol box 36 and rigidly attached heating element 32 to be pulled awayfrom right oven wall 56 as shown in FIG. 3.

Heater support 66 provides support to heater element 32 and rigidlyattached control box 36 when they are attached to right oven wall 56.Heater support 66 also helps prevent warpage and distortion of heaterelement 32 when it is cooking. Both of these benefits are partially dueto the free sliding movement of heater 32 within both upper hole 80 andlower hole 82 of heater support 66 which helps to compensate forexpansion and contraction of heater 32 when it is heated and cooled inuse.

Heater support 66 also helps direct the movement of heater element 32and rigidly attached control box 36 when they are being attached to, orremoved from, right oven wall 56, as shown in FIG. 3. This makes it mucheasier to install and remove control box 36 from right oven wall 56.

Also helping in this; forward pin 76 and rear pin 78, both of whichprotrude from right rail 84, project into forward hole 81 and rear hole83 respectively, both holes located on the bottom of control box 36.This pin-in-hole disposition also helps to support control box 36 whenit installed on oven cavity 28.

Ventilated heat resistant support 86 which is integrally attached tocontrol box 36, helps reduce the amount of heat reaching the interior ofcontrol box 36.

Light 112 is part of control box 36 and is protected from breakage andfrom producing glare outside of oven cavity 28 by guard 114. Light 112illuminates food being cooked within oven cavity 28.

Left oven wall 68, right oven wall 56, roof 74, floor 70, and back wall72 may be of a single or multiple ply, and may be constructed of anyappropriate material. As examples, they may be constructed from steel oraluminum or other metal or other materials such as high temperatureplastics; any of which may or may not be coated with such materials as:electroplated metal, nonstick coating, paints or other finishes. Theymay also be fabricated using any appropriate method. As examples, theymay be: stamped, drawn, molded, pressure formed, or otherwiseconstructed. Alternative construction techniques to those taught hereinare well-known in the art and thus are not described in this document.

As a more specific example, perimeter walls 68 56 74 70 and 72 may beconstructed from single ply 0.022 inch thick mild steel with a nonstickcoated interior and a high temperature paint coated exterior. The outershell for control box 36 might be molded from 0.120 inch mean wallthickness polypropylene plastic, with ventilated heat resistant support86 constructed from stamped and drawn 0.022 inch galvanized steelpainted on its exterior with heat resistant paint.

Perimeter walls 68 56 74 70 and 72 might be attached together as shownin FIGS. 4 and 5. As illustrated, tabs 96 slide into and become alignedwithin slots 98. Further, tabs 96 have resilient members 100 which locktabs 96 within slots 98 merely by pushing tabs 96 into slots 98. Thishas advantages of being: simple, extraordinarily strong, inexpensive,accurate, and consistently repeatable in manufacture, when comparedagainst other manufacturing methods such as welding, screwing, riveting,or drawing. It also has the advantage of producing a relatively smoothand even finish detail which may be easy to clean and which may have noor few projecting sharp edges or points.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the installation of vertical axis turntable 104within oven cavity 28. Drive gear 106 engages perimeter gear 108 ofturntable 104 to provide rotary motion to turntable 104 whenever drivegear 106 is rotating. Thus, instead of drive gear 106 engaging gearteeth on spit assembly 20 to provide horizontal axis rotisserie cooking,drive gear 106 engages perimeter gear teeth 108 on turntable 104 toprovide vertical axis rotisserie cooking. Such versatility allows forboth vertical and horizontal axis rotisserie cooking with attendedadvantages already stated.

FIGS. 6 shows removable stationery axil pin 110 installed in oven cavity28 with turntable 104 being lowered onto stationery axil pin 110. FIG. 7shows turntable 104 after it has been fully installed.

As an alternative, turntable 104 could be powered by its own dedicatedmotor which could either be installed in the cabinet, as an examplebelow the floor; or under turntable 104. If such a motor wereelectrically powered, a low or high voltage electrical cord could go outaround the door in the front, or go through the floor, or plug into thecabinet.

To help in cooking, reflector 116 may be introduced into oven cavity 28.Reflector 116 rests on spit supports 30 and engages heating element 32using tabs 118. Tabs 120 engage cooking position 90 to limit fore an aftmovement of reflector 116. Reflector 116 helps even out the heatdistributed radiated onto turntable 104. Blocking/support member 122which is attached to reflector 116 also helps make the heat directedonto turntable 104 even by blocking radiant heat emanating from heatingelement 32 which otherwise might burn food on the perimeter of turntable104. Blocking/support member 122 also connects and provides structurebetween reflector 116 and tabs 118.

As already mentioned, several different foods may be cooked on turntable104. As examples, and not by way of any limitation, pizzas, cookies,cake layers, and hors d'oeuvres may all be cooked as well as many othersknown to those in the art. As further examples, and not by way of anylimitation, American pancakes and flapjacks can be cooked. Also, Frenchcrepes may be cooked on turntable 104. The crepes may be cooked directlyon the flat upper surface of turntable 104 in a manner similar to makingAmerican pancakes, or, as shown in FIG. 10, dome shaped turntable 124may be used to cook the crapes, perhaps in the traditional French manneras known to those of the art.

Dome shaped turntable 124 may also be used for cooking meats andvegetables. Here, thinly sliced pieces of food may be placed on top ofturntable 124 with a result that during cooking, greases and oils areshed from the food over the dome shaped cooking surface. To help inthis, a torus shaped drip tray may be inserted around pin 110.Projections from the upper surface of turntable 124, including, but notlimited to, an outer perimeter wall or dimples or projections in thedomed surface, might help in stabilizing foods placed on the dome shapedsurface to keep them from sliding off. A raised texture on the uppersurface of dome shaped turntable 124 might also help in separatinggreases and oils away from food being cooked.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 11, and to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,142,064 and6,568,316 and associated patents, spit assembly 20 includes spit plate126, as well as axle pin 128 which is surrounded by cylindrical sleeve130. Cylindrical sleeve 130 is self lubricated and rotates independentlyof axil pin 128. Axil pin 128 is integrally connected to spit plate 126and captures cylindrical sleeve 130 between spit plate 126 and head 132of axil pin 128. When food is being cooked, cylindrical sleeve 130 restsinto cooking position 90 of spit supports 30. This arrangement helpsreduce noises when spit assembly 20 is rotating including: squeaking,rubbing, and other noises.

Depending on specifics, such as ambient temperature, and greases,chemicals, and oils to which it might be exposed, cylindrical sleeve 130might be fabricated from any of many different materials known in theart. Such materials include by way of example, and not by way of anylimitation: Teflon, brass, self lubricated bearing materials, acetylplastic or other materials known to those with knowledge of the art. Asan even more specific example, Teflon provides both high heat resistanceas well as resistance to chemicals, greases, and oils. It is also goodat absorbing sound generated by movement.

Because it's removable and covers so much interior space, spit plate 126on spit assembly 20 may be coated on inside surface 134 with a nonstickcoating to make cleaning of oven cavity 28 easier. The unusualarrangement of having a large plate at one end of, or large spit plateson both ends of, spit assembly 20 means that it provides a substantialinner liner for oven cavity 28. This inner liner, when coated with anonstick coating, is easily removable and easy to clean. Outside surface136 of spit plate 126 may also be coated with an easy to clean surfaceto facilitate cleanup. As described in earlier U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,142,064and 6,568,316, spit assembly 20 may have two spit plates. Either or bothspit plates on spit assembly 20 may be treated in the manner describedabove.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, a preferred embodiment spit assembly isshown which is used to cook breads and other farinaceous products.Cylindrical wire screen perimeter wall 150 is attached on one end tosolid circular wall 152 which has cylindrical spit axil 154 at itscenter. Capping the other end of cylindrical wall 150 is removable cap156 which is geared on its outer circular periphery, and which ispenetrated on its face by holes 158, 160, 162, and 164. Wire protrusions166, 168, 170, and 172 which are connected to the open end ofcylindrical wall 150 respectively protrude into each of these holes, andhelp secure and center removable cap 156 to cylindrical wire screenperimeter wall 150. On the center of its face which is oppositecylindrical perimeter wall 150, removable cap 156 has a secondcylindrical spit axil which is not shown in the figures.

The preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 may be constructed ofany of a variety of materials known to those knowledgeable in the art.As an example, and not by way of any limitation, perimeter wall 150might be constructed of aluminum screen of a window screen size match,with solid circular wall 152 constructed of stamped, 0.06 in. aluminum.Removable cap 156 might be constructed of steel, and coated with eitherchromium or a nonstick surface such as Teflon.

Wire protrusions 166, 168, 170, and 172, might be constructed of 0.1 in.chromium plated steel wire. Cylindrical axil 154 might be constructed ofchromium or Teflon coated steel.

In operation, a user would remove cap 156 from perimeter wall 150 andinsert an uncooked bread loaf. Cap 156 would then be replaced over theopen end of perimeter wall 150, and the entire assembly would then beplaced in a rotisserie oven similar to that described earlier in thisdocument. After cooking, the entire preferred embodiment would then beremoved from the rotisserie oven, and removable cap 156 taken off toallow the then cooked bread loaf to be removed for serving.

The preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 has at least theadvantage that cooking is done evenly on all sides of the bread.Variants of the embodiment also appeared to cook breads significantlyfaster than use of a conventional oven.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show a preferred embodiment to cook breadsticks.Perforated cylindrical walls 174, 176, 178, and 180 are lodged betweenspit plates 182 and 184 which cap each of the cylindrical walls'respective ends. Spit rods 186 and 188 suspend and support cylindricalwalls 174, 176, 178, and 180 between spit plates 182 and 184 by means ofpenetrating intermediate support plates 190 and 192 as shown in FIGS. 14and 15.

In use, spit plate 182 is removed, thus opening the ends of cylindricalwalls 174, 176, 178, and 180. An uncooked breadstick is then placedinside at least one of the cylindrical walls. Spit plate 182 is thenreplaced and the entire assembly placed into a rotisserie oven such asdescribed earlier in this document. Here it is cooked. After cooking,the entire assembly is removed from the oven and spit plate 182 removedso that the cooked breadsticks can be removed for serving.

This preferred embodiment may be constructed using materials andtechniques described for the previous preferred embodiment.

Besides being able to be used to cook breads as described, both of theabove described embodiments may be used for other purposes. As examples,and not by way of any limitations, they may be used to: cook rolls andother shapes of bread, roast coffee beans, pop popcorn, roast nuts, orroast or cook other food articles.

What has been described herein are specific preferred embodiments of thepresent inventions. Many changes and variations will be easily derivedfrom the descriptions contained herein by those knowledgeable in theart. As examples, and not by any way of limitation: embodiments might beconstructed at any desirable scale; embodiments might be freestanding,without need of a countertop to support them; embodiments might haveoven cavities of different shapes such as a cylinder on its side or avertical cylinder; control boxes might be located on the top, bottom, orfront of the embodiment; horizontal and/or vertical spits might utilizeonly a single rod, or might have more than two rods; the spit drivemight utilize a socket coupled to the end of the spit rod torotationally power the spit assembly; heating elements other than therod type electric one shown might be utilized including gas or liquidpowered elements or less conventional electric heating elements such asquartz or solid-state elements; or embodiments might be built intohousehold ovens.

Such variations and many others would be readily apparent to oneknowledgeable in the art and hence should be considered as obvious fromthe descriptions contained herein.

1. A cooking system comprising: housing means defining an interiorchamber, the housing means including an opening adapted to receive afood product into the interior chamber; door means adapted toselectively seal the opening; the housing means further defining a portadapted to matingly receive a removable heating element therethrough;and a control box including, a control box housing, an elongated,electrical resistance heating element secured to the control box housingso as to extend outwardly from an exterior therof, means adapted toselectively secure the control box housing to an exterior of the housingmeans such that the heating element is received through the port so asto extend into the interior chamber relatively proximate to a selectedinterior portion of the housing means, a motor, a mechanical couplingoperatively engaged to the motor, which mechanical coupling ispositioned so as to be adapted to provide a mechanical link therewith toan associated object disposed in the interior chamber, and means adaptedto selectively receive electrical energy into the at least one of theheating element and the motor.
 2. The cooking system of claim 1 furthercomprising: means for securing, within the interior chamber, at leastone rotatable member to the mechanical coupling so as to be linkedtherewith such that mechanical energy from the motor is transferred tothe rotatable member through the mechanical coupling.
 3. The cookingsystem of claim 2 wherein the rotatable member is at least one of arotisserie and a turntable for moving food associated therewith relativeto the electrical resistance element when disposed in the interiorchamber.
 4. The cooking system of claim 3 wherein the housing includesmeans adapted for receiving a drip pan therein, which drip pan isoriented so as to receive drippings from food disposed in the interiorchamber while being heated by the heating element.
 5. The cooking systemof claim 3 wherein the control box includes a settable timer adapted forselectively activating at least one of the rotatable member and theheating element for a selected duration.
 6. The cooking system of claim3 wherein the control box includes a settable timer adapted forselectively activating at least one of the rotatable member and theheating element for a selected duration.
 7. The cooking system of claim3 wherein the control box includes a lighting element adapted to projectlight into the interior chamber when the control box is secured to theexterior of the housing.